Have a story to tell or an idea for helping the homeless? Post it here.
'She Doesn't Look Homeless to Me'
As the result of a recent divorce, I was homeless for four months. ...I went from the middle class to the bottom of the barrel. Shelters are not the answer for the temporarily displaced. They are too difficult to get out of once you get in. Only a few people I asked for shelter knew I was homeless. I even got into trouble with a judge when I went to court too suitably dressed. When my attorney revealed I was homeless, the judge replied, "She doesn't look homeless to me." This hurt like hell.
--Dcamp06604
'Most Homeless People Do Not Trust Easily'
As a child growing up in Los Angeles, I remember riding in a car with my mother and seeing a homeless man sitting on the railroad tracks. I remember my mother telling me, "Son, never give up on life and be like that man over there." Little did I know that I would experience homelessness in my life as an adult. God knew, but I didn't.
I am currently homeless and living in a shelter in San Francisco. I have also experienced homelessness in Seattle, San Diego, and Las Vegas (where I slept [in] the desert; it was by far the worst experience ever). I doubt if I would have ever come to believe in Jesus Christ through another means. It is the church that truly helps the homeless...it is the body of Christ that feeds, encourages, prays, and admonishes the destitute, not the "homeless" programs the government has set up. Most homeless people come to church services for a meal, a reprieve from the streets, and clothing. I thank God for the people who took time out of their precious schedules to come minister to the homeless. Through the tireless efforts and patience of storefront ministers, I came to see that God is real. Most homeless people do not trust very easily, but the constant preaching/teaching of God's word to me on a daily basis led me to believe that God loves me and wants success for my life. Whatever situation we find ourselves in, God truly has a plan.
Ever since I truly gave my life to Christ, things have been looking up for me. Drugs and depression over a failed marriage once had me drifting up and down the West Coast, but Christ took away my grief, anger, and feelings of failure. I have now reconnected with my family, have a part-time job, and have found someone willing to rent me a room near the beach for only $200 a month. Most important, I have a church and people who really care about me.
--Derreck
Giving Back After Being Homeless
I am 59 and a below-knee amputee, but I am still loving life. My husband and I became homeless shortly after we got married. We hitchhiked from Arizona to Seattle, Washington, and slept in cars or on the street. Sometimes we were invited into homes for a night. It was a hard life, physically and emotionally.
Now, I attend a church that has a ministry to the homeless in Dallas, Texas. The church provides food, clothes, and transportation to Sunday service. I joined this group to see what other ways we might be able to help the homeless.
--Ironsideangel
'When They See Us at the Grocery Store, They Ignore Us'
I was homeless and an addict and a convicted (but rehabilitated) felon. I was in jail for theft charges and I am now 30. At the local homeless shelters, I see people who bring their ziti and donate their size 2 clothes, but when they see us at the grocery store, they ignore us. Still, I am grateful for the ziti and the clothes, even though they are 8 sizes too small for me and for most of the women who wear plus sizes.
–pinkbutterfly1
Have a story to tell or an idea for helping the homeless? Post it here.
